Computers have become highly integrated in the workforce, in the home, in mobile devices, and many other places. Computers can process massive amounts of information quickly and efficiently. Software applications designed to run on computer systems allow users to perform a wide variety of functions including business applications, schoolwork, entertainment and more. Software applications are often designed to perform specific tasks, such as word processor applications for drafting documents, or email programs for sending, receiving and organizing email.
In many cases, software applications are designed to interact with other software applications or other computer systems. For example, a software application may be designed to debug other software applications or code portions. Such applications are typically referred to as debuggers. Debuggers provide a view of the software code as it is being executed, allowing software developers to see what is happening at each stage of the program execution. Debuggers also detect and present errors to the developer during execution.
Other software applications may be used to actually define a software language. For instance, developers often develop software programs that are specific to a given domain. Such applications are often written in computer languages that are also specific to that given domain. Some software applications allow developers to define such languages and then implement those languages when writing the domain-specific programs.